Tipsy

Ali and Jess go to Home Run Burgers

  

by Prichinna

After some late morning shopping with my lovie Jess, we decided to stop for a late afternoon lunch. Burger’s were in order since it was spring break and we needed a little grease after an open mic night the evening before. 

My facebook friend Mike had just opened a burger joint a few days before so we decided to give it a whirl. It became a bit of a search due to the fact that I thought he said it was located in Holtsville. After taking a tour of that town, we stumbled across it in Holbrook. Hey, they both start with an H and are located next door to one another. 

So after our Harold and Kumar adventure, without Doogie or the drugs, we arrived at Home Run Burgers. The carry-out burger joint is located on the wedge on Main street, a great traffic pattern for this fast-food establishment. There is ample parking in the rear and a neatly manicured landscape surrounds the brick patio in the front. Once inside, there is a line to order and separate one for pick-up. Sports memorabilia lines one of the white tiled walls that is bordered with blue and red-checkered tiles. One can’t deny a nostalgic all American feeling here.

Burger choices are a single, double, or triple Angus burger with or without cheese, pickles, and onions. The most expensive burger on the menu is the Homerun Burger with two ¼ pound patties, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, and cheese: $4.99. The menu also boasts a Chicken slider, a cheese dog, and a Philly cheese steak. There are onion rings, fries, cheese fries, and chili cheese fries as well. You can even order an old fashioned milkshake or a fountain soda to wash it all down. 

Jess and I indulged in a tasty cheeseburger, a cheese dog with an extra soft and fresh bun, and cheese fries. Next time we will ask for more cheese as it was a bit scant. That and two sodas came to a mere 10 bucks. We enjoyed our meal on the patio. The place was hopping and we chose to sit on the slate retaining wall, although there were four umbrellaed (-ellaed, ellaed...) tables that each sat eight. If the weather was not conducive to dining outside, there are ten stools and counters along the front windows. Of course you could always get your burgers to go. 

Home Run Burgers is open every night until 10 pm and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

  
  

S.W.A.K. worthy AND a Home Run

These are a few of my favorite things...

by Bridget

I have something I need to talk about. I have this little hobby... no, more like compulsion. I really, really, enjoy pairing wine with junk food. It just makes me so damn happy! I'm not talking half-assed thrown together pairings, I mean really analyzing flavor profiles of potato chips and candy and finding the absolutely perfect wine to go along with it. Throw in a horror or sci-fi flick, and dammit, that is a moment of Zen in my world! What can I say? I am a woman of simple needs. Let me elaborate, and maybe you kids can try this at home.

I luuuuurv Cotes du Rhone like it's going out of style. I've had lovely wine from this region with coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, and many other lovely and complex culinary delights. But, lemme tell you, get some jumbo chicken wings from Mike's subs in Kenmore, a bottle of Perrin and Fils Cotes du Rhone, throw the first "Alien" film (director's cut) in the DVD player, and, in most cases, this can beat a fancy night out. The fruit of the Syrah, Granache, Cinsault, etc. blend pairs perfectly with the spice of the wings.

Spain makes some of the best and most reasonably priced wines on the market. One of my biggest guilty pleasures is a little number called Don Ramone. Don and I are great friends because he's a versatile fella. He's a saucy blend of Grenache and Tempranillo. My favorite pairing after a tough day is Butter Lovers Popcorn and my beat up copy of "Army of Darkness" (starring the dashing Bruce Campbell!). Hail to the king, baby.

Rosemount Shiraz and Tyson's "Fun Shapes" chicken nuggets: Ok, even I really can't explain this particular bizzare pairing. Maybe it was the joy of coming home to good friends, the comfort of a squishy chair and some yummy wine and junk food. It just worked. I think the fact that it was "fun shapes" had something to do with it. They were dinosaurs! Who doesn't love dinosaurs?

And finally, one of my most favorite happy accidents involves bubbly and sweets. I had a bottle of Lucien Albrect Brut Rose. I am a big fan of Alsatian wine, and throw in the fact that it is a sparkling rose? I am sold. This cheeky little guy went awesome with Turkish Delight! No, really - it was like a crazy carnival of flavor, but in a good way, not the wierd way. The bubbles and subtle fruit of the wine just mingled with the rose and almond powdered sugary goodness of the Turkish Delight. I was so high on sugar that night that I went out dancing at Marcella's for the first time. It was one of the best nights ever.

Last, but not least, my absolute favorite junk food and wine pairing. Brooklyn pizza and Bordeaux. One of those little inexpensive '05 bottles is soooooooo amazing with New york style pizza, extra cheese and pepperoni. In order to really enjoy this one, I really need to be back in Brooklyn, though. And if "Dawn of the Dead" is on, even better (the original, not that craptastic remake). Pure bliss.

So, there you go, there is my dirty little secret. If you try some of these pairings, I won't judge you. Want to know my ongoing project? Trying to find the perfect wine to drink with a bag of Dorito's. The search continues...

Choice Eats 2010

by Prichinna

 

I have the mentality of a 300-pound woman. Fortunately, for bathing suit sake, I don’t particularly care for the typical American fare. I would prefer to eat Thai, Turkish, Japanese, Afghani, or even Spanish any day. Since my preferred comestibles are not at my immediate disposal, nor do I yet have a personal chef, I do not eat as much as I would or could. While there is some diversity in restaurants around my zip code, they all seem to be watered down variants. So when I learned about Choice Eats, my inner glutton got really excited. 

 

The Village Voice has curated Choice Eats for three years now. It is a tasting event that features over 60 restaurants (64 this year) from the five boroughs of New York, handpicked by the food critics of The Village Voice. The restaurants represent 35 different ethnic cuisines. This is so my thing. Then I found out there would also be an array of beer, wine, and liquor to be sampled. This is SO my thing. As soon as tickets became available, I purchased two.

 

Tickets were $35 each, not bad for an all you can eat expo paired with alcohol samplings. For an additional $30, one could get in an hour early with no wait and access to the VIP area. A bit pricy for a perk but VIP included a few more tasting areas, unlimited Stella, Leffe, and Hoegarden, and mixed drinks from Dinner with The Band host Sam Mason. There was also a goody bag. The rockstar that I am, I went for VIP.

 

I traveled to the 69^th Armory on Lexington with my fellow food lover Lucy. Upon entering the VIP area, we started with dessert, why not? I sampled a mini-cupcake from Kumquat Cupcakery of NYC. The heavenly little chocolate cake was topped with vanilla frosting and a sprinkling of roasted pistachios. It was the perfect size to eat in one tasty bite. We then headed over to the special host Sam Mason who was pouring rhubarb gimlets. I like a gimlet and I like sour, but this concoction did not appeal to my palate. I switched to Leffe Blonde, an amber colored and fresh and fruity Belgian with a hint of caramel. Much yummier than the gimlet. My favorite sampling in VIP was from Tiffin Wallah, a vegetarian Indian restaurant located in Murray Hill. Much to my vegetarian friend’s delight, and to my taste buds, sweet rice with currants was topped with a spicy curry and savory yogurt sauce. I think I could have possibly eaten this all night.

 

But alas, we moved upstairs for the main event. Another advantage to VIP is that we got in earlier than the non-rockstars and were able to visit many tables before the place packed out, as it surely did. By 8:00 it was becoming hard to navigate a full belly through the crowd. I suggest if you attend next year, go VIP or get there early. So here are some of my tops, restaurants I look forward to visiting soon:

 

Patacon Pisao: A Venezuelan restaurant with a location in Inwood and another in Elmhurst. They served the Cachapa Sandwich, which was made of a sweet cornmeal bread wrapped around melted mozzarella and parmesan with a smothering of sour cream on top. Sweet and cheesy goodness.

 

El Almacén: Located in Williamsburg, the Argentinian chef/owner served up a delectable Peruvian sweet potato puree topped with melt in your mouth short ribs. The blend of meat and potato was superb. When I visit this establishment, I will be sure to try the avocado fries and chorizo and eggs for brunch.

 

Am-Thai Kitchen: Also in Brooklyn, this inexpensive and casual restaurant of Kensington served up two tasty Thai treats. The first was so delicious but I cannot remember the name. It consisted of a large soft noodle topped with vegetables and a delicious peanut-chili sauce. It might have possibly been the Dumpling in Peanut Sauce that is on the menu for $5, but I will have to go sample to be sure, woe is me. The second item was a crispy rice crepe filled with coconut, tofu, lime leaves, and cilantro cucumber salad. The crepes were quickly prepared right in front of us and made a wonderfully light finger food.

 

Fatty Crab: Last but not least was Fatty Crab. This Malaysian fusion restaurant has three locations. The Upper West side, the West Village, and a third just opened in Williamsburg which is called Fatty ‘Cue. Fatty Crab first got my attention in VIP where they were serving chocolate Fatty Bars. With two types to choose from, dark chocolate with chilies and roasted almonds was my favorite. On the main level, Fatty Crab was serving up deviled eggs. These were not your typical Sunday luncheon deviled eggs, but with a zingy Malaysian twist. This perfect two-bite treat could make one wonder what else this restaurant has to offer.

 

 

This event was S.W.A.K. worthy.

 

 

 

 

Homeslice

by Jay

When I was considering my move to Buffalo from New York, I was not at all convinced that I would survive. After all, how would a dedicated food-slave like myself manage in what is oft-seen as a cultural wasteland? Imagine my surprise when my first stop while looking at apartments was Betty’s.

 

I arrived on a grim February day, which is to say a typical February day in Buffalo. (NB: While I find that most of the year up here is beautiful, February blows. Period.) There wasn’t nearly as much snow as I’d expected, so clomping around on the frozen grass in my snow boots felt a bit ridiculous. I had a half-assed map from the Lonely Planet and no clue whatsoever about the city. I did, however, have an appointment to look at an apartment on Hudson Street, so since I was early, I wandered down to Betty’s for a coffee.

 

It was a Saturday, probably around noon or so. Despite the lack of snow, it was very cold outside and I was chilled from exploring Buffalo on foot. Betty’s was very busy with the brunch crowd, and I have since found out that it’s got one of the best brunches in town. Not being of the brunch-going sect in NYC, I didn’t even think about that at the time – I just wanted something hot to drink. Only a little table by the front was open, so I grabbed that and ordered a scone and a coffee. The waitress brought a cherry and white chocolate chip scone and, I shit thee not, it was one of the best damn things I’ve ever tasted. (In fact, they have been consistently sold out every time since that I’ve gone.) I was thrilled once I had a look at the menu too: many vegetarian options, homey food with a creative twist. After visiting Betty’s and, later, the Allen Street Hardware Café, I figured that I could indeed survive in Buffalo.

 

Four years later, Betty’s is still one of my favorite places to eat. Through wine, I got to know the owners, Carroll and Doty, and I even held a wine tasting for the staff. (My god, they can drink!) Betty’s was recently expanded to include a full bar and I think my visits have increased in direct correlation to the added square footage. The bar area is surprisingly swank for the funk of Allentown, but it blends well with the warm restaurant. One of my favorite new features is a massive wood door Carroll found at Buffalo ReUse, and I’m determined to smuggle that bitch out at some point.

 

Last night, ElMarko and I went to Kleinhans Music Hall, another favorite, to see a performance for the Buffalo Chamber Music Society. I bought season tickets this year for the two of us because it’s one of the biggest bargains to be found, and that’s saying a lot in a very cheap city. It gives us an excuse to get gussied mid-week and take ourselves out, all classy-like. I donned a purpley dress with gold heels and a little gold jacket, which is not quite as tacky as it sounds. And, despite all of the higher end restaurants we could hit, we went to go to Betty’s. It’s around the corner from Kleinhans and I know that we, as vegetarians, are always able to have options other than a portobello whatever. The food is always great and the service is always friendly. The recently expanded wine list is well-constructed, and nothing is too expensive. In an industry plagued with the lackluster, Betty’s has found the perfect niche of warm, affordable, and most of all, delicious.  

 

 

Saturday the 13th...

 

by Kels

It was Saturday, the 13^th and feeling much like Friday the 13^th, as I was filled with the foreboding thought of the two tough days to come. My birthday falls the day after Valentine’s Day.  Just being recently at odds in my love life, and having the double whammy of Valentine’s Day AND my 39^th birthday back to back, I needed to get my mind off of this and just go have some fun. So, I of course turned to good friends. 

I hopped on a train and went down to NYC for the day. I first went to visit my dear lovie Joseph on the Upper East Side. On my way to his place, I picked up the most delicious scones from Corner Cafe & Bakery 3rd Avenue at 93^rd St. I bought one Cranberry and one Apricot Walnut and then popped across the street to buy some gorgeous yellow tulips. The scones were heavenly, melt in your mouth goodness topped with a pat of butter. The tulips were fresh and a vibrant, make-you-feel-good kind of yellow.

After spending a few hours hanging out and catching up with Joey and his pussycats, I went on to the second part of my day with my close friend and confidant Renee. We hooked up in Chelsea for some long overdue art viewing. It was really cold out, which made it physically shocking to pop in and out of the warm galleries. After a couple of hours, we were ready to find somewhere warm to hunker down and have a long chat so we wandered off to look for food and drink. And, like often happens when wandering in NYC, we stumbled across the perfect little place, Pepe Giallo, on 10^th Ave and 25^th Street, a very quaint and cozy Italian restaurant with loads of ambiance.

The front room is warm and filled with an amber glow from lights covered in paper bags. The large wooden bar in the back has a huge clear cylindrical glass vase of fragrant flowering branches that are probably 4 feet tall. It is strikingly beautiful. Although the back room has lovely garden seating, we chose to stay up front where is much cozier. On the front page of the menu was printed "no diet coke - no skim milk - no decaf coffee", so we knew we were in the right place.

We ordered a bottle of wine to start. Valpolicella Superiore - Zenato (Veneto) 2007. It’s a dry & robust Italian with a velvety texture and current, black cherry, & spicy aromas. It immediately warmed my insides. For dinner, I began with a salad of yummy goat cheese, apple and tomato over organic greens. Next was a heaping bowl of Pappardelle with sausage in spicy tomato sauce. Sorry, all you herbivores, but I like-a de good-a sausage and have no regrets. It was fantastic! The pasta was very fresh pasta and homemade sauce with exactly the right amount of spice so it didn’t burn my taste buds off. Service was mellow; slow, but just right if you want to enjoy your wine and company without feeling rushed. The waiter was very handsome, friendly and quite helpful. Pepe is the perfect haven after braving the elements of the city in February.

After finishing every last bite, we  rolled down the street to find a place for another drinkie poo or two (or maybe 3) and came across Le Zie. Yes, another Italian place. It is also a restaurant but has a separate lounge. A long couch sits against the main wall in front of a bar, buzzing with people coming and going. It is quintessentially New York. We were chatting up a friggin’ storm about loves gone wrong as we indulged in our vino. I have no idea what we were drinking, just knew it was warm and rich and felt good going down in the company of a good friend.